ClinicalTrials.gg
Active, not recruitingNCT07608406MTB-CTBUpdated Jul 14, 2026

Modified Versus Clear Twin Block for Skeletal Class II Malocclusion

An interventional study of Modified Twin Block Appliance and Conventional Clear Twin Block Appliance in Skeletal Class II Malocclusion, sponsored by University of Aleppo. Active, not recruiting at 1 site in Syria. Open to participants aged 10 Years to 13 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-07-14.

Sponsored by University of Aleppo · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
40
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
10 Years to 13 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a modified Twin Block appliance compared to a conventional clear Twin Block appliance in the treatment of skeletal Class II malocclusion caused by mandibular retrusion in growing patients.

This is a two-arm randomized controlled clinical trial including patients aged 10-13 years diagnosed with skeletal Class II malocclusion. Participants will be randomly allocated into two equal groups.

Skeletal, dental, and soft tissue changes will be assessed using lateral cephalometric analysis and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Additionally, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) health, pain perception, and functional tolerance will be evaluated using standardized clinical indices and patient-reported outcome measures.

The study aims to compare the modified appliance with the conventional design in terms of skeletal improvement, TMJ safety, and patient acceptance.

Read the detailed description

Skeletal and dentofacial anomalies, particularly Class II malocclusion due to mandibular retrusion, represent one of the most prevalent orthodontic problems during growth. Functional appliances, especially the Twin Block appliance, are widely used to enhance mandibular development and correct jaw discrepancies. However, variations in treatment protocols, particularly regarding advancement mechanics and appliance modifications, may influence both skeletal outcomes and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) response.

This study aims to investigate the effects of a modified Twin Block appliance, incorporating progressive mandibular advancement and additional design modifications such as lower lip pads intended to influence muscular activity, compared to a conventional clear Twin Block appliance.

A two-arm randomized controlled trial will be conducted on growing patients aged 10-13 years diagnosed with skeletal Class II malocclusion due to mandibular retrusion. Participants will be randomly allocated into two equal groups using a computer-generated randomization sequence with allocation concealment.

Skeletal and dental changes will be evaluated using lateral cephalometric radiographs and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), with particular attention to condylar morphology, joint space dimensions, and craniofacial skeletal relationships. TMJ health will be assessed using the Helkimo Index. Patient comfort, pain perception, and functional adaptation will be evaluated using validated questionnaires administered at multiple time points throughout the treatment period.

Radiographic and clinical assessments will be performed at baseline (T0) and after 7 months of functional appliance therapy (T1). Repeated patient-reported outcome measures will be collected at predefined intervals during treatment.

The objective of this study is to determine whether the modified Twin Block appliance provides superior skeletal and functional outcomes while maintaining temporomandibular joint safety and improving patient tolerance compared to the conventional appliance.

02

Conditions studied

  • Skeletal Class II Malocclusion

Keywords

  • Twin Block appliance
  • Class II malocclusion
  • Mandibular advancement
  • Functional orthopedic treatment
  • CBCT
03

In context

Lead sponsor

University of Aleppo is the lead sponsor of 9 studies on the registry; 3 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
10 Years to 13 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Systemically healthy patients.
  • Patients willing to accept removable functional appliance therapy.
  • Skeletal Class II malocclusion (Angle Class II Division 1).
  • Skeletal Class II due to mandibular retrusion (ANB ≥ 5°, 6 mm ≤ OJ ≤ 13 mm , SNB ≤ 78°, with normal maxillary position).
  • Growth stage corresponding to MP3 stage or pre-pubertal peak according to hand-wrist radiograph (Björk and Helm, 1967).
  • No severe dental crowding in the dental arches and no significant maxillary dental protrusion.
  • Absence of congenital anomalies, trauma, burns, or surgical scars affecting the temporomandibular joint or craniofacial structures.
  • Absence of systemic or rheumatologic diseases affecting the temporomandibular joint.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Presence of clinical signs or symptoms of temporomandibular joint disorders.
  • Functional mandibular deviation.
  • Previous orthodontic treatment.
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Single (Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
40 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Modified Twin Block Group

    Patients in this group will be treated using a modified Twin Block appliance incorporating progressive mandibular advancement and lower lip pads designed to influence muscular activity and enhance skeletal effects.

    Device: Modified Twin Block Appliance

  • Active comparator
    Conventional Clear Twin Block Group

    Patients in this group will be treated using a conventional clear Twin Block functional appliance for correction of skeletal Class II malocclusion.

    Device: Conventional Clear Twin Block Appliance

Interventions

  • DeviceModified Twin Block Appliance

    A modified Twin Block functional appliance incorporating progressive mandibular advancement and lower lip pads designed to modify muscular activity and enhance mandibular growth. The appliance is used for the treatment of skeletal Class II malocclusion due to mandibular retrusion in growing patients.

    Also known as: Progressive Twin Block

  • DeviceConventional Clear Twin Block Appliance

    A conventional clear Twin Block functional appliance used for correction of skeletal Class II malocclusion in growing patients. The appliance acts by posturing the mandible forward to stimulate functional and skeletal adaptation.

    Also known as: Clear Twin Block

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in mandibular skeletal position measured by SNB angle on lateral cephalometric radiographs

    Assessment of sagittal mandibular skeletal position using the SNB angle (degrees) measured on standardized lateral cephalometric radiographs.

    Time frame: Baseline (T0) and after 7 months of treatment (T1)

  2. Change in effective mandibular length measured by Co-Gn distance on lateral cephalometric radiographs

    Assessment of mandibular length using the Condylion-Gnathion (Co-Gn) linear measurement in millimeters obtained from lateral cephalometric analysis.

    Time frame: Baseline (T0) and after 7 months of treatment (T1)

  3. Change in condylar dimensions assessed using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT)

    Assessment of temporomandibular condylar morphology using CBCT, including condylar length, condylar width, and condylar height measured in millimeters.

    Time frame: Baseline (T0) and after 7 months of treatment (T1)

  4. Change in temporomandibular joint spaces assessed using CBCT

    Assessment of condylar position within the glenoid fossa using CBCT measurements of anterior joint space (AJS), superior joint space (SJS), posterior joint space (PJS), and medial joint space (MJS), measured in millimeters.

    Time frame: Baseline (T0) and after 7 months of treatment (T1)

Secondary outcomes

  1. Temporomandibular joint dysfunction symptoms assessed using the Helkimo Anamnestic Index (Ai)

    Assessment of temporomandibular joint dysfunction symptoms using the Helkimo Anamnestic Index questionnaire. The index classifies patients into: * Ai0: no symptoms * Ai1: mild symptoms * Ai2: severe symptoms Higher scores indicate greater temporomandibular dysfunction severity.

    Time frame: Baseline (T0) and after 7 months of treatment (T1)

  2. Patient-reported pain intensity assessed using a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS)

    Assessment of pain intensity reported by patients using a numeric rating scale ranging from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates maximum pain.

    Time frame: 1 week, 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after appliance insertion

  3. Patient-reported discomfort and functional limitation assessed using a validated questionnaire

    Assessment of appliance-related discomfort and functional or social impairment using a validated questionnaire adapted from Sergl and Zentner (1998), modified by Idris et al. (2012). The questionnaire evaluates pressure sensation, tooth sensitivity, speech impairment, swallowing difficulty, mouth restriction sensation, and social confidence using a numeric rating scale from 0 to 10. Higher scores indicate greater discomfort and poorer appliance acceptance.

    Time frame: 1 week, 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after appliance insertion

  4. Change in lower incisor inclination measured by IMPA on lateral cephalometric radiographs

    Assessment of lower incisor inclination using the Incisor Mandibular Plane Angle (IMPA) measured in degrees on lateral cephalometric radiographs.

    Time frame: Baseline (T0) and after 7 months of treatment (T1)

  5. Change in upper incisor inclination measured by U1-SN angle on lateral cephalometric radiographs

    Assessment of upper incisor inclination using the upper incisor to SN plane angle (U1-SN) measured in degrees on lateral cephalometric radiographs.

    Time frame: Baseline (T0) and after 7 months of treatment (T1)

  6. Change in overjet measured on lateral cephalometric radiographs

    Assessment of overjet as the horizontal distance between upper and lower incisors measured in millimeters on lateral cephalometric radiographs.

    Time frame: Baseline (T0) and after 7 months of treatment (T1)

  7. Change in overbite measured on lateral cephalometric radiographs

    Assessment of overbite as the vertical overlap between upper and lower incisors measured in millimeters on lateral cephalometric radiographs.

    Time frame: Baseline (T0) and after 7 months of treatment (T1)

  8. Change in sagittal molar relationship measured on lateral cephalometric radiographs

    Assessment of sagittal molar relationship using linear measurements in millimeters between upper and lower first molars on lateral cephalometric radiographs.

    Time frame: Baseline (T0) and after 7 months of treatment (T1)

07

Study locations

1 site
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Wu Y, Yu Q, Xia Y, Wang B, Chen S, Gu K, Zhang B, Zhu M. Does mandibular advancement with clear aligners have the same skeletal and dentoalveolar effects as traditional functional appliances? BMC Oral Health. 2023 Feb 2;23(1):65. doi: 10.1186/s12903-023-02709-5. PubMed 36732724 ↗
  • Lombardo EC, Lione R, Franchi L, Gaffuri F, Maspero C, Cozza P, Pavoni C. Dentoskeletal effects of clear aligner vs twin block-a short-term study of functional appliances. J Orofac Orthop. 2024 Sep;85(5):317-326. doi: 10.1007/s00056-022-00443-1. Epub 2023 Jan 18. PubMed 36651930 ↗
  • Caruso S, Nota A, Caruso S, Severino M, Gatto R, Meuli S, Mattei A, Tecco S. Mandibular advancement with clear aligners in the treatment of skeletal Class II. A retrospective controlled study. Eur J Paediatr Dent. 2021;22(1):26-30. doi: 10.23804/ejpd.2021.22.01.05. PubMed 33719479 ↗
  • Tripathi T, Singh N, Rai P, Gupta P. Comparison of Dentoskeletal Changes, Esthetic, and Functional Efficacy of Conventional and Novel Esthetic Twin Block Appliances among Class II Growing Patients: A Pilot Study. Turk J Orthod. 2020 Jun 1;33(2):77-84. doi: 10.5152/TurkJOrthod.2020.19030. eCollection 2020 Jun. PubMed 32637187 ↗
  • Golfeshan F, Soltani MK, Zohrei A, Poorolajal J. Comparison between Classic Twin-block and a Modified Clear Twin-block in Class II, Division 1 Malocclusions: A Randomized Clinical Trial. J Contemp Dent Pract. 2018 Dec 1;19(12):1455-1462. PubMed 30713173 ↗
  • Gill DS, Lee RT. Prospective clinical trial comparing the effects of conventional Twin-block and mini-block appliances: Part 1. Hard tissue changes. Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop. 2005 Apr;127(4):465-72; quiz 517. doi: 10.1016/j.ajodo.2004.11.012. PubMed 15821691 ↗
  • Banks P, Wright J, O'Brien K. Incremental versus maximum bite advancement during twin-block therapy: a randomized controlled clinical trial. Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop. 2004 Nov;126(5):583-8. doi: 10.1016/j.ajodo.2004.03.024. PubMed 15520691 ↗
  • Kyburz KS, Eliades T, Papageorgiou SN. What effect does functional appliance treatment have on the temporomandibular joint? A systematic review with meta-analysis. Prog Orthod. 2019 Aug 12;20(1):32. doi: 10.1186/s40510-019-0286-9. PubMed 31402395 ↗
  • Chadwick SM, Banks P, Wright JL. The use of myofunctional appliances in the UK: a survey of British orthodontists. Dent Update. 1998 Sep;25(7):302-8. PubMed 10478026 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No — Individual participant data will not be shared due to patient privacy and confidentiality considerations. The study involves pediatric orthodontic patients, and data will be reported in aggregate form only.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jul 14, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07608406
Lead sponsor
University of Aleppo
Responsible party
Feras baba (Associate Professor, University of Aleppo) — Principal investigator
First posted
May 27, 2026
Start date
May 17, 2026
Primary completion
Dec 2026 (estimated)
Completion
Dec 2026 (estimated)
Last update
Jul 14, 2026

Study contacts

Abdulmalek Majanni, PhD
study director · Faculty of Dentistry, University of Aleppo

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is active, not recruiting, as verified in Jul 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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